karenvanita

I apologize to everyone here on swap-bot, especially those that I am way, way late on getting things out to. I have had an intense nervous breakdown and am just getting back to taking care of anything that doesn’t have to do with surviving. While I am on swap-bot today I will be sending this message to a few people and posting it on my page. The number of messages in my mailbox are too numerous to respond to all of them. I will also get the addresses to the people I need to send swaps to and rating the people that have sent to me. I have the swaps ready to mail so they should be arriving shortly. I have decided that my mental health is not reliable enough to continue to participate in swaps, etc… and will not be returning to swap-bot in the near future. I overextending myself emotionally and financially. Again I apologize for not being realistic with you or myself. I have enjoyed swap-bot and wish you all HAPPY SWAPPING!

I am 58 years old. Divorced. I have two children who have children of their own. I live in a small town in Kansas, just southwest of Kansas City. My daughter lives in the same town so I get to spend a lot of time with her and my granddaughters. They are very involved, sports, cheerleading and dance. The oldest is a sophemore in high school (fall 2012) and the youngest is in 8th grade. My son got a medical discharge from the army. He will be moving to Kansas in a couple weeks. He is divorced and his son lives in OKC. My grandson is home schooled and is really into Tai Kwan Do. He is a third degree black belt. He is 16. My son has been to Afghanistan twice and Iraq once. I am very proud of my children and grand children.

I am on disability and I don’t work. So it gives me time to devote to creating. I do have nerve damage in my right hand and arm. My writing is horrible and it starts to hurt pretty quickly. I can type pretty well. So I type my letters. And I’ve found just a slightly different way to hold the hook so I can crochet.

I’m allergic to a lot of scents. So check with me before sending candles or incense. Vanilla is always safe.

My spirituality is an eclectic mix. I enjoy earth energy and Goddess power. The cycles of the moon are important. I keep track of the moon phase and have a ritual on the full moon. I attend Unity church. I use meditation and affirmations. I have statues of Kwan Yin, Ganesha, Buddha and Bast. I use candles and incense a lot.

I believe in leaving a small carbon footprint. I recycle. Sometimes I can get obsessive about it. I also try to combine trips in the car to save gas. I unplug almost everything when it’s not in use. You’d be surprised how much electricity appliances draw when they are turned off, especially if they have a remote or adapter. I have all my computer things (laptop, printer and internet server) on a zip strip so all I have to do is flip it off. I also have all the TV related things on a zip strip. When the weather is nice and I don’t need the heat or the air-conditioning, my electric bill is only $12.00 per month. No kidding!!! I do have a small apartment, but my neighbors in the complex were shocked.

I studied Anthropology and Archaeology in college (2005). I earned my Associate Degree and hope to go back to school soon to get my Bachelor’s, maybe more. I enjoy learning about different customs and cultures, modern and ancient. The mythology and spirituality is especially interesting. I like Native American Arts (pottery, drawings, weaving). I love anything Maya.

MY LIKES

• I like all colors, except fluorescent lime green and avocado green (the color that appliances used to come in). I use color and combinations of colors as mood therapy like aroma therapy.
• Anne Geddes
• Hummingbirds, lady bugs, butterflies, fire flies and dragon flies. Wolves have a special place in my heart. Hummingbird and Wolf are my primary Spirit Animals. I got a hummingbird tattoo on the back of my left shoulder August 2011. More to come when I can save some money.
• Feathers (natural, not dyed). Stones. Crystals. I don’t wear a lot of jewelry. I have pierced ears (twice in each ear), but I leave the same studs in a lot. I’m trying to get in the habit of wearing my jewelry again. Most of it is made with meaningful stones. Rose quartz, aventurine, rainbow obsidian, lepidolite, moonstone, amethyst, tiger eye, hematite, tourmaline, carnelian, lapis lazuli, garnet, citrine.
• Calla Lilies
• Herb teas, medicinal and otherwise.
• Celtic designs, knots etc.
• Collage paper – faces, close up flowers, birds, animals, botanicals, colors, letters, numbers
• I like fairies. The old fashioned kind not tinker bell. Children’s original fairy tales and stories that don’t end with “And they lived happily ever after”. I think it’s a strong contributor to the unrealistic expectations of life, even after we grow up.
• I love the ocean and sea shells especially sand dollars. I used to live in northern California and I miss the ocean A LOT.
• Thunder storms, without tornados. The feeling of electricity in the air and the rumbles and crashes of thunder. I love to go outside and stare at the sky to watch the lightening. I used to drive my mother crazy. She thought I was going to get struck by lightening. When I was in California, I missed thunderstorms.

Crochet, painting, decoupage, polymer clay (jewelry, embellishments and more). I'm very interested in ATC's. They are why I signed up. I have never heard of them before I accidentally found this site. But then I found inchies and I’m addicted. The more I read on this site the more excited I get. I’ve become very involved with postcards. I am a co-founder of a new Postcard swap group. Teabags!!!? Never would have thought of that. I have joined a new group to start an art journal. Another thing I never heard of is zines. Another thing I am crazy about. I have made a couple zines just for me and I did a craft project with my granddaughters. The older granddaughter made enough to give each of her dance team members. I’ve started decorating and making my own envelopes.

I like new age spiritual and inspirational books. Wayne Dyer, Ram Doss, Deepak Chopra, Louise Hay. I read a lot of Science Fiction/Fantasy. My favorite authors are Anne MacCaffrey, Marion Zimmer Bradley, (Darkover series and Avalon series) Mercedes Lackey and Jo Clayton. I recently discovered that Anne MacCaffrey and her son Todd were continuing the Pern series. I'm hooked on the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon and am starting on the Lord John series. I read The Hobbit years ago and The Lord of the Rings. I have read those books several times. I also recently found a new series, the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Series, (I'm told that True Blood on HBO was inspired by these books.) by Charlaine Harris. I am anxiously awaiting the next book in all these series.

Growing up I liked the Bobsey Twins, Nancy Drew, Beatrix Potter, Alice in Wonderland (I have never even seen the movie.), Beverly Cleary. That’s all I can remember right now.

I would love to get recommendations for new books to read.

This is difficult to answer. My tastes are varied and unpredictable. I'm not necessarily going to like all songs by even my favorite artists. I still like the Beatles and Paul McCartney. I like a lot of Country Western, but NOT the whiney, old fashioned kind. I like to listen to the stuff that was popular when I was a teen (mid 60’s to early 70’s). I like a lot of the stuff my granddaughters listen to, but I have no idea what the names of the songs or the names of the artists are. I like bright and lively classical. I like smooth jazz. I like a lot of meditation type music. My favorites include Native American drums and flute and Celtic music. David and Steve Gordon have good Native American music. I like Celtic Woman and Secret Garden.

I don't have cable. I have rabbit ears for the new digital signals. I like Minute to Win It, Wipeout, America's Got Talent, Two and a Half Men (not as much now as the earlier seasons. Hate Ashton Kucher in the show.) I’ve quit watching, The Big Bang Theory and America's Funniest Home Videos. You get the picture. Well Castle is pretty good. I was a Star Trek fan through the original series and most of the Next Generation and then it went past being Star Trek. But I only get to watch TV if the reception is good.

I liked the Star Wars movies. Twilight and Harry Potter were OK. I liked the Star Trek movies. Favorites: Somewhere in Time (I watched it 20 to 30 times.), Sliding Doors (It took me twice to follow the whole story.), Rear Window with Christopher Reeve, The Lake House, A River Runs Through It, Lord of the Rings, Ghost. I liked Pirates of the Caribbean mostly because I like Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. Hocus Pocus was a hoot. I went to the early matinee and was the only one in the theater. I got to laugh and talk to the movie. The usher came in a couple times to check on me!

• Pretty much anything that will fit on an inchie, especially related to my LIKES.
• Collage images, papers of all types, faces, flowers, babies and things on my LIKE list. Paper for any of my favorite crafts.
• Stickers
• Up close pictures of flowers
• Stones and crystals
• Incense and candles. I’m allergic to a lot to scents. So only ones I specifically mention. Vanilla, strawberry and lemon, are ok.
• Natural feathers, not dyed
• hats - I am collecting and crocheting hats. I'm going to have to start wearing them all the time, because my hair is getting thin, very thin
• stationery for letters, with envelopes – homemade envelopes and stationery
• Art Journal pages (approximately 5” X 7”)

• I like all colors, except fluorescent lime green and avocado green (the color that appliances used to come in). I use color and combinations of colors as mood therapy like aroma therapy.
• Anne Geddes
• Hummingbirds, lady bugs, butterflies, fire flies and dragon flies. Wolves have a special place in my heart. Hummingbird and Wolf are my primary Spirit Animals. I recently got a hummingbird tattoo on the back of my shoulder.
• Feathers (natural, not dyed). Stones. Crystals. I don’t wear a lot of jewelry. I have pierced ears (twice in each ear), but I leave the same studs in a lot. I’m trying to get in the habit of wearing my jewelry again. Most of it is made with meaningful stones. Rose quartz, aventurine, rainbow obsidian, lepidolite, moonstone, amethyst, tiger eye, hematite, tourmaline, carnelian, lapis lazuli, garnet, citrine.
• Calla Lilies
• Herb teas, medicinal and otherwise.
• Celtic designs, knots etc.
• Collage paper – faces, close up flowers, birds, animals, botanicals, colors, letters, numbers
• I like fairies. The old fashioned kind not tinker bell. Children’s original fairy tales and stories that don’t end with “And they lived happily ever after”. I think it’s a strong contributor to the unrealistic expectations of life, even after we grow up.
• I love the ocean and sea shells especially sand dollars. I used to live in northern California and I miss the ocean A LOT.
• Thunder storms, without tornados. The feeling of electricity in the air and the rumbles and crashes of thunder. I love to go outside and stare at the sky to watch the lightening. I used to drive my mother crazy. She thought I was going to get struck by lightening. When I was in California, I missed thunderstorms.

• fluorescent lime green and avocado green (the color that appliances used to come in).
• Don’t need any more bookmarks. I have an e-reader now.
• hair barrettes, scrunchies or headbands. My hair is real short.
• I’m allergic to a lot of scents. So check with me before sending candles or incense. Vanilla is always safe. NO floral scents.
• NO pineapple